Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary

Big thank you for everyone who came out to our annual w**d pull event. We can’t thank you enough.

In the interests of visitor safety, access to the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary’s viewing platforms is temporarily restricted.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and ask that you not attempt to access the platforms.

Over the next eight months, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and the Lee Nature Sanctuary Society will renew the sanctuary’s boardwalks and viewing platforms.

We will post updates as they become available!

We look forward to welcoming you back to an even better visitor experience in 2024!

What's on the menu for wild ducks? Many different things, actually, depending on factors like species and the time of year. We receive many questions about what ducks eat, and if it's okay to feed wild ducks. Please take a few minutes to watch this episode of Duck Doctors, DUC research scientist Lauren Bortolotti provides the answers! https://youtu.be/s6AMkIoyCk4

We like to thanks Ducks Unlimited for this informative video.

What do ducks eat? What's on the menu for wild ducks? Many different things, actually, depending on factors like species and the time of year. We receive many questions about w...

We often receive message from people asking how they can help! Well here is an event we need people for urgently!

Please join us for our annual Thistle W**d Pulling Event on Wednesday July 12 from 9.30 am until 1.30pm.

We had great feedback from the group that volunteered last year and we would love to welcome you back!

Please message us if you can join us. Your time and work is really appreciated by all of us.

Over the last few weeks, we have had multiple complaints about dog owners visiting the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary. We want to remind our visitors that this is a nature sanctuary, and not an urban or dog park. Dog MUST BE ON A LEASH AT ALL TIMES, and dog owners MUST PICK UP AFTER THEIR DOGS!

To the owner of a black Nissan Versa who visited the sanctuary last night! Please keep your dog (brown labradoodle) on its leash. Your dog wandered around following visitors for 45 minutes trying to find you!

There are other reasons why we ask visitors to not feed the birds at Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary! Please read our post below.

CELEBRATE EARTH DAY!!!

Planning on visiting Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary this earth day? Bring a bag and help us keep the Sanctuary clean.

This small act ensures garbage goes to the right place, giving back to our community and our planet.

What is Angel Wing Syndrome?

Angel Wing is a condition that affects mostly waterfowl, caused by a nutritional deficiency in vitamins and minerals combined with a high level of carbohydrates and sugars. While a number of factors are involved, human-fed bread is one of the probable causes. It causes the carpal joint (or wrist) on the wing to grow awkwardly, leaving the wing unable to sit flush at the bird’s side. This affects their ability to fly and the growth of their primary flight feathers — making them look more like sticks than feathers.

Damage in fully mature birds is irreversible and likely fatal, due to the inability to fly to food sources and rejection from their flocks. If the bird is young and the diet changes dramatically, however, the damage could be reversed.

Although there are more nutritional foods that humans can provide (like non-moldy cracked corn, wheat, barley or standard birdseed), geese and ducks are grazers and have no trouble finding food on their own. In fact, feeding them can create an unnatural and unhealthy dependence on us as their food providers, and can lead to other problems, like overcrowding and water pollution.
Help keep our waterfowl happy and healthy by spreading the word about the dangers of feeding them bread and crackers.

Photo by Ellie Burgin

Our parking lot is small and to prevent disappointment we suggest coming early to make sure you find parking. If the parking lot is full, we are asking you to please come back another time or visit local places nearby.

Have you visited Tuckers Field? This 3.2-km loop trail is near Devon, Alberta. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 44 min to complete. This is a popular trail for hiking, snowshoeing, and running, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of the day. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.

Another great place is Bunchberry Meadows. Bunchberry Meadows is home to moose, deer, coyote, lynx, cougar, black bear, and at least 58 species of birds (including seven listed as species of concern). Conservation of this ecologically diverse property is crucial to encouraging biodiversity in the area. The months of April and May are important times for plants and wildlife on the Bunchberry Meadows property. Birds are migrating and nesting and ungulates are calving, making them all sensitive to disturbance. To limit this, property access will be closed to the public, but available to a small number of school groups through the Inside Education program on select dates during the closure. Thank you for supporting conservation and respecting the temporary closure. They look forward to welcoming you back on May 23, 2023.

And just south of Devon you find Coates Creek Conservation Area. Coates is home to wood frogs, crayfish, mammals such as moose, coyote, porcupine, and a wide variety of birds including red-tailed hawks, great blue herons, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. For more information check out their website https://www.ealt.ca/coates

Is it ok (or Not) to feed birds in the Sanctuary?

Whether we identify as birders or photographers or both, we are always looking for ways to get closer to birds, or to bring them closer to us. Offering food—sating the hunger that is such a primal drive for all of us—is an easy way to do that. But knowing what kind of food is okay to supply, and when, and where, can be confusing. Over and over, in nature-photography forums and on social media, I see the following questions: “Isn’t all bird feeding harmful?”
To paint every species with one broad brush is to ignore or deny the varying needs and circumstances of every kind of bird and the realities of its particular life—realities that depend on population status, habitat, physiology, and the unique challenges it faces. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

We asked ourselves 3 questions:

Is this species at risk? Information on the status of a species is just a click away. A good resource is https://www.alberta.ca/bird-species-at-risk.aspx

Using this we can easily discover how a species is doing in our province. We may even find that the status of a species varies greatly from one place to another.
If a bird is classified as “sensitive,” or “at risk,” that means it is struggling to survive. We must exercise extreme caution when making decisions that might affect that bird. Even if we have the best intentions, what we think might benefit a bird might actually cause unintended negative consequences.

Is the food appropriate and safely provided?
The most common place we offer food to birds is, of course, in our own backyards. Fortunately, there is a wealth of information on how to safely set up and maintain bird feeders. However, the birds you find within the Sanctuary aren’t always the same birds you find in your backyard.

The healthiest, most natural food you can offer to attract birds to your yard are native trees and shrubs, such as serviceberry or crab apples, which are a longstanding food source for them. This is no different for our Sanctuary birds, plant species native to this area are always the best food source for them. We often see our visitors bring in bread, however, bread has little to no nutritional value and may cause an unhealthy condition referred to as “angel wing.” Another major issue we are dealing with is leftovers from overfeeding on picnic tables or along the trails. This is leading to contamination of the lake, it is spreading diseases and attracting rodents.

Is feeding this bird likely to change its behavior in harmful ways?
Ask yourself: Might feeding the birds in the Sanctuary cause them to associate food with a particular place? You must have noticed that when you enter the Sanctuary you will be greeted by a group of chickadees.

Have you ever asked yourself if this behavior, following you and eating out of your hand, is natural? Could that habituation eventually put it in danger? Does the bird migrate to a region where it’s not well understood, or where it’s hunted? The answer will be different for a bird of prey (possibly yes) than for a songbird at a feeder or for a chickadee hand-fed sunflower seeds in a preserve (probably no).

Ask yourself whether feeding a bird might cause it to aggressively seek handouts from people. We’ve all seen gulls at the beach or swans in a park grab food out of someone’s hand. Once these birds begin to associate people with easy food, they can become bold and pesky. This both creates a hassle for people and poses a danger to the birds, as they gain a bad reputation and eventually may be harmed.
You don't have to be a bird expert or conservationist to realize that birds today face a multitude of challenges. When thinking of offering food to birds, as nature photographers, birders, or nature lovers, each one of us can take a little time to do some research and sensibly weigh the pros and cons of our choices. We can make informed decisions, and hopefully, balance our desire to get the shot with what’s best for the birds.

Source: By Melissa Groo May 24, 2018 (Reprint from Audubon Magazine)

With warmer weather ahead we see an increase in visitors to the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary! If you are visiting please take home what you bring in. Our volunteers and visitors spend hours cleaning up trash that is left behind. Any trash is harmful to the animals living in the sanctuary and it has become a major issue. Although there is a garbage bin at the parking lot, we would appreciate it if you take your trash home. We also want to remind our visitors that the Sanctuary is not an urban park and should not be treated as one. Family gatherings, birthday parties, or family picnics are not recommended as it disturbs the wildlife, and trash left behind attracts animals.

REMINDER: Please do not walk on the ice during winter months. With the warmer weather this week it is extremely dangerous to diverge from the marked paths!

Good morning. Please see below some reminders when visiting the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary. This week alone we have spoken with multiple people to remind them to stay on the trails and not feed the birds.

The boardwalk will not be cleared during the winter months, however, there are shovels along site the trails for you to use when you visit. We really appreciate any assistance with learning the boardwalk during these winter months.

Thank you

Please don’t leave your trash at the Sancturay. There is a recycle station in Devon. Thank you

Dogs are welcome at the Sanctuary however are not allowed to go into the water or be off-leash.

Please do not leave your pets in the car with this weather, even if you park the car in a shaded area and leave the windows a bit open.

Have a great weekend!

If you’re hot, they’re hot. With temperatures rising, plan ahead if you have to drive with your dog. Never leave your pet in a hot car, even if you need to make a quick stop.

Learn more about extreme heat events and how to protect yourself and others at alberta.ca/ExtremeHeat

Are you looking for a fun u-pick around the YEG area? Below you find a link. We want to remind our visitors that the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary is not an u-pick location and we are kindly asking our visitors to not go off the trails to pick berries. The wildlife living in this sanctuary need these to survive winter and to migrate.

Please to not pick the berries!!! Here are some amazing u-pick places close to YEG! https://bit.ly/3JBrJlX

***UPDATE****

The main issue has been fixed, however the entire parking lot will need to be fixed when we have the resources to do so! Please donate if you can so we can continue maintaining the sanctuary. Thank you

Good morning. When you visit the sanctuary today please be careful when entering the parking lot. We have been made aware of the issues and someone will be out today to fix it.

Please enter the parking lot from the south end.

Thank you

What are you up to this evening?? Make sure to come visit the sanctuary.

Why we have posted the rules for no feeding of wildlife (this includes the ducks and small songbirds)

The animals lose their instinct to feed feeding often causes overpopulation as birds realize food is easy to get and then there is more competition and aggression among the animals.

Malnutrition especially in ducks as they are eating junk food, this causes the ducklings to have growth problems.

Disease- left over bits of food especially bread with duck feeding and left-over seeds go moldy and can cause birds to be come infected with diseases.

Water pollution if too much food gets left behind and with ducks more poo will be produced from eating an unnatural diet. This causes the water to become polluted

Mixed seed left out has unusual species of plants that are not native to this area and are causing a w**d issue for our management committee. This is why we organized a w**d pull event last week.

Pest attraction from food left around the sanctuary predator attraction also from food.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

We want to thank all the volunteers who came out earlier this week to attend our W**d Pull event. One of our volunteers was assigned to mow down a huge patch of an invasive wetland grass species called reed canary grass in the central meadow. He did a fantastic job taking down the whole patch with the w**d trimmer.

The rest of the crew pulled Canada thistle along the main boardwalk and the treed area next to it. They bagged the pulled thistles and then dumped them in an inconspicuous area to create a small mountain to compost as there was very little flower development and no chance of it developing seed. They finished up at 1:00 pm as planned and everyone involved was enthusiastic and said they had a good experience.

The Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary Management Committee

Adventure Alberta is owned and operated by Rhonda Krause, a lifelong Albertan from the Edmonton area who enjoys hiking, kayaking, biking, camping, nature walks, and most other outdoor activities. She loves heading out on road trips, taking pictures, then writing about her discoveries so that Alberta locals and visitors will be inspired to get outdoors and explore Alberta’s diverse nature.

Please see below the article she wrote about our Sanctuary.

We would like to thanks Rhonda for this article.

Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary- Visitor Guide The Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary is a scenic location for short nature walks and wildlife viewing opportunities near the town of Devon.

***UPDATE****

The event is tomorrow at 9am, if you are able to come join the group, please do!

Thank you,

Good morning,

We are still looking for some volunteers to assist our Sanctuary Committee for a fun morning of w**d pulling at the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary.

To register for this event, please message us on Facebook and we will add you to the list. Registration deadline was June 10, however we need more people to help out. This is a great opportunity to bring your young children and learn all about the Sanctuary.

On the day of the event, July 13, our committee members will meet you at the Clifford E. Lee Parking Lot. Registration will start at 9:00 am.

Please bring leather work gloves and rubber boots as we’ll be pulling Canada thistle along the boardwalk areas and training participants on how to recognize various diseases of this very troublesome noxious w**d. If you do not have the appropriate gloves, let us know and we will be able to provide you a pair.

Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary updated their business hours.

Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary updated their info in the about section.

When visiting the Sanctuary please keep in mind that this is not an urban park. Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary is a nature sanctuary, NOT a dog park.

Yes, well-behaved dogs are allowed however please keep a few things in mind before visiting the Sanctuary.

1) The Sanctuary is not a dog park.
2) Dogs must be on a leash at any time. (yes this includes the parking lot)
3) The Sanctuary is a nature sanctuary meant to observe wildlife and all the fantastic birds. If your dog is a barker, please do not bring it to the Sanctuary.
4) The wooden boardwalk is not a place for your dog to p*e or p**p on.
5) Please pick up after your dog as you would at a dog park and keep the sanctuary clean for all visitors.
6) Dogs are not allowed in the water

Thank you

First off WOW what an amazing response we got on our first post a few days back! Thank you all for your kind words and the engagement on what we shared! It warms our hearts and we are so thankful that so many of you love the Sanctuary as much as we do. We had many questions, and we tried to answer them all. If we have not responded to your question, we simply missed your response in the many notes people left. Please message us and we will be happy to assist.

Many of you also asked to be more involved in picking up garbage or attending an event. We posted our first event a few days back, in case you missed it, please have a look. We are looking for a group of volunteers to assist us with pulling w**ds. This is an amazing opportunity to partner up with our committee and learn about the sanctuary, the wildlife, and the different types of plants and trees in the area. Bring your children and get them involved.

We look forward to continuing to interact with you on here or meeting you at the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary trails.

We are excited to share with you that a new sign will be going up in the Sanctuary today! Please take a moment to read the signs and educated yourself on the area you are entering. Clifford E. Lee is NOT an urban park and should not be used as such.

We hope you all enjoy our amazing Sanctuary. For those who visit often, thank you! For those who are new, we hope you come back soon.

We want to remind you that Clifford E. Lee is a Nature Sanctuary and not a federal, provincial, or municipal park and as such does not get funding for maintenance from these sources.

We encourage people to come and enjoy our Sanctuary and its wildlife, but we expect you to treat it with respect and follow the rules that have been established. The rules are for protecting flora and fauna and not making it difficult for you to enjoy the area. We are asking you to consider the long-term effects of feeding wildlife and picking flowers and berries

There are signs at the entrance showing that it is prohibited to feed the birds inside the Sanctuary. Please do not feed the birds as this is extremely harmful to them. Please do not pick berries as wildlife need these to survive winter and to bulk up for migration. Please do not pick or dig up flowers or plants.

If you drive in from Edmonton or surrounding areas and picked up a coffee on your way over, leave that cup in the car vs taking it into the Sanctuary. Every year we remove thousands of coffee/tea cups, plastic lids, and straws from the Sanctuary. Clifford E. Lee is a Nature Sanctuary and is not meant to be used as a public park for birthday parties or family bbq lunches.

Please help us keep this sanctuary natural and healthy by following the rules we have posted.

Thank you,

The Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary Management Committee